TREES FOR THE FUTURE INC

TREES FOR THE FUTURE (TREES) WORKS WITH SMALL HOLDER FARMERS IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA THROUGH THEIR FOREST GARDEN APPROACH (FGA). THE APPROACH IS FOCUSED ON SUPPORTING FARMERS TO DESIGN THEIR OWN AGROFORESTRY SYSTEMS TO IMPROVE THEIR FOOD SECURITY, DIETARY DIVERSITY, ECONOMIC LIVELIHOODS, AND CLIMATE RESILIENCE. OVER FOUR YEARS, TREES TRAINS FARMERS THROUGH A COMPREHENSIVE SIXTEEN-PART CURRICULUM THAT BUILDS THEIR KNOWLEDGE IN AGROFORESTRY, PERM GARDENING, SOIL HEALTH, COMPOSTING, AND LIVELIHOODS. TRAINING IS UNDERTAKEN BY TREES OFFICERS, MANY OF WHOM HAVE GROWN UP IN THE SAME LOCAL COMMUNITY AND AFTER TERTIARY EDUCATION, RETURN TO THEIR COMMUNITIES TO SHARE THEIR KNOWLEDGE. TREES TEAM WORK TO DESIGN TAILORED FOREST GARDENS THAT MEET THE INDIVIDUAL NEEDS OF THE FAMILY, COMMUNITY AND ECOSYSTEM IN WHICH THEY LIVE. TREES FURTHER ENSURES THAT ALL FOREST GARDENS DESIGNED ARE LOCALLY APPROPRIATE TO THE ECOSYSTEM AND NEEDS OF THE FARMER. CROP AND TREE VARIETIES ARE SELECTED BY THE FARMERS, WITH TREES' TECHNICIANS GUIDING FARMER GROUPS THROUGH A METHODOLOGY THAT MAXIMIZES YIELDS WHILE ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF THE LAND BEING FARMED. THE FOREST GARDEN ENGAGES THE ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT AND SKILL OF LOCAL FARMERS, ALLOWING THEM TO DRAMATICALLY AND PERMANENTLY INCREASE THEIR INCOME, REVITALIZE THEIR DEGRADED LANDS, AND BENEFIT GENERATIONS TO COME. ALL FOREST GARDEN PROJECTS ARE DEVELOPED WITH AN EMPHASIS ON SUSTAINABILITY AT BOTH THE FARM AND LANDSCAPE LEVELS. AT THE FARM LEVEL, THE FOREST GARDEN IS ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE BECAUSE IT CONTAINS MANY TREES SOLELY DEDICATED TOWARD SERVING ECOSYSTEM PURPOSES: FAST-GROWING, NITROGEN-FIXING TREES BUILD SOILS BY ADDING ORGANIC MATTER TO THE TOPSOIL AND BY FIXING NITROGEN INTO THE SOIL VIA THEIR ROOTS. THESE "GREEN FERTILIZER" TREES ELIMINATE THE NEED FOR FARMERS TO PURCHASE ENVIRONMENTALLY HARMFUL CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS. THE FOREST GARDEN DESIGN ALSO CONSIDERS INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT, USING TREES AND VEGETATION TO SERVE AS BARRIERS FOR PESTS AND SOURCES OF NATURAL PESTICIDES (SUCH AS NEEM TREES), REDUCING THE NEED FOR FARMERS TO PURCHASE HARMFUL CHEMICAL PESTICIDES. AT THE LANDSCAPE LEVEL, FOREST GARDENS ARE ESSENTIAL TOOLS FOR REDUCING PRESSURE ON FORESTS, HELPING TO END THE BATTLE BETWEEN FARMS AND FORESTS.